When you speak with David Sánchez Carmona his enthusiasm and curiosity are instantly apparent (and contagious), which would explain his successful professional and academic evolution. His journey began in Puerto Rico with a focus on information systems. He assumed he’d be “just another IT guy” until he got a taste of marketing and shifted into roles developing digital marketing technology and managing CRMs before it was commonplace. “I saw the value of generating these systems that capture data and allow for optimization of workflow.”
He eventually moved stateside and thanks to his diverse skillset joined APCO Worldwide– one of the world’s largest independent women-owned public affairs firms. He started as a web developer eighteen years ago, held positions as creative director, art director, and web designer, and is now their Creative Technologist. “All these fields make sense to my career foundation as an information systems specialist – and I have not stopped since then!”
A constant evolution
A dizzying amount of technological change has transpired over the past 20 years, bringing with it completely new industries and job titles (e.g., social media manager) and making other tools obsolete (floppy disks, anyone?).
“I have always been a geek at heart. I’m always intrigued by the technological evolution. I saw AI coming many years ago and thought ‘Whoa! I need to educate myself in order to be ready for the next wave.’”
Enrolling in courses at MIT to get up to speed was an obvious choice for David. Even at a young age, he was exposed to scientific principles and breakthroughs through the doctors and nurses in his family. “I always thought if I want to be a thought leader, it’s going to be through MIT” He explored offerings at other institutions but kept coming back to an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership through MIT Sloan Executive Education because it aligned the best with his goals. “I thought ‘Wow! MIT has figured out exactly what I want!’ When I started, I wanted to reach the management and leadership position I currently hold in my firm. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past four years – using these courses to update myself, upscale, re-scale, and teach others. Yes, I’m a creative technologist, but also thanks to MIT, I’m now a machine learning and AI strategist!”
Expanding expertise
Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy was the first course on David’s list. “This course really opened my mind. Professor Thomas Malone was brilliant! And although it was a self-paced course, it was a very immersive experience.” He also appreciated the interdisciplinary construction of the curriculum. This was not just about business applications. He admires how they included experts from other fields like mathematics, data science, and neuroscience. “They brought all these highly complex thoughts together and how they relate to different business values.”
Applied Business Analytics with Professor Bertsimas, though a little more challenging, was the perfect complement to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Business. “I went through this difficult course on applied data science and let’s just say I was happy I survived! Bertsimas is a master of analytics. It actually inspired me to take a coding course!”
Business Implications of Extended Reality (XR): Harnessing the Value of AR, VR, Metaverse, and More was the final course to round out his Executive Certificate. The subject matter was also particularly convenient to his current role. “This course helped me move beyond the hype of XR. We happen to work for a lot of Metaverse hardware manufactures and I’m now able to act as a translator for our clients. It’s really helped me ground myself and others into this new reality.”
Embracing change
“Every course I have taken has completely reconfigured my worldview.” Like many of our Executive Certificate holders, David is not one to hoard lessons learned. He’s passionate about ensuring others aren’t left behind. “I want to make sure I’m training the firm for the next generation. Fifty-percent of our workforce is new due to changes that happened during the height of the pandemic. Internally, I’m teaching a course on large language models, like chatGPT, to demystify it and discuss the risks.”
"If you immerse yourself in the course, bring your full self, I guarantee you that you will be a better consultant, a better manager, a better CEO. It’s been mind-blowing."
A lot of people approach AI with hesitation (or trepidation). David understands the concerns. All new technology can be scary at first. “I want to make it very clear to them that AI will not replace us – someone that leverages it will. AI is a tool, just like someone with a calculator. You need to figure out how to apply it to your workflows, but be aware of the risks. It’s already out there so we should know how to use it in responsible ways. Leverage it – but supervise it. It’s beautiful and it’s just the beginning.”
Diversity of thought
One of the features that appealed to David was the diversity of thought leaders represented in the classroom. “I respect immensely that MIT is always representing diversity and inclusion in these courses – I noticed that. If it weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have taken them.”
Creating diverse and inclusive environments is not just a personal passion point, but a professional one. David realizes there’s bias out there, among humans and machines. “As a Latino man of color, I may sometimes be underestimated. People see my last name and maybe think I don’t know as much as I do. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. Having MIT on the resume adds credibility and can help you reach a different stage in the corporate environment.” It’s part of the reason he mentors others on his team – so they too can see what’s possible and forge their own paths.
“You never know who you will inspire. At the moment we’re investing a lot in APCO Impact, which is our services for DEI. And believe me, I’m applying everything I have learned at MIT. I’m helping them guide conversations about equity and justice in AI, diversity and inclusion in AI, and consider how biases arise in data sets. It’s been very useful to apply all these lessons across our services – from crisis management to DEI.”
Just getting started
David plans to earn his Executive Certificate in Technology and Operations next. He already has some circled on the program guide, but hopes this time he can make it to campus for at least a course or two. For David, an Executive Certificate isn’t just a piece of paper or a box to check. He’s truly committed to his learning journey (and is fully self-funded). “You attend these courses to learn and be better than who you were before. That’s my upbringing – to learn and never stop learning. I’m always focused on self-improvement. It’s an endless force.”
He admits the journey hasn’t always been easy – whether it’s learning something completely outside your wheelhouse or prioritizing the time commitment. However, it’s worth it. “If you immerse yourself in the course, bring your full self, I guarantee you that you will be a better consultant, a better manager, a better CEO. It’s been mind-blowing.”
Advice to others
David suggests some self-reflection before enrolling in a course. He asks you to think about the future and what the next five years will look like for your organization and industry. What are the frameworks you’ll need to ensure you’re ready when change comes? (Because it inevitably will). “You have to be brave to face a strange new world. Our business world, our society… It’s just getting stranger. Especially with so many things happening at the same time from technological advancement to geopolitical shifts. Are you ready?”
Learn more about earning an Executive Certificate.
Contributed by Elaine Santoyo Goldman